oilyriser is right.
Originally Posted By: AHC
I've started commuting about 20 miles roundtrip on my bike.
Not used to aerobic endurance sports, are we?
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I ride about 3 to 4 days a week and regularly lift weights and I’m having trouble maintaining my weight.
Endurance sports like bicycling will result in a different physique than an anaerobic sport like weight lifting. You are now creating a superior AAHA*
*Anaerobic-Aerobic Hybrid Athlete -- I made up that term
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Me jeans are getting loose. I eat a pretty balanced diet with lean meat, veggies, and carbs. I don’t mind leaning down some but I also want to maintain muscle.
Put a rolled up sock in. j/k Presuming your protein intake is sufficient, there is NO WAY you are losing muscles. Your muscles may well be transformed from the seriously bulky kind that anaerobic sports produces to a more leaner, less bulky muscle that aerobic exercise creates. My best guess is that you are losing body fat, and not muscle mass, since you are not dieting, but exercising. If you were dieting, then your muscles might shrink before the body fat ever begins to be burned (The body tends to hold on to its iron reserve, which is fat, if faced with calorie intake shortage).
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Is the short answer to eat more healthy food? In particular, more protein to maintain muscle?
Too much protein is not good for you (especially bad for your kidneys), so you want to figure out the proper protein needs of your body. Have a nutritionist who specializes in sports advise you.
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You know the great thing is I can have a beer when I get home and never get a beer gut. I feel like I’m working construction. But the bottom line is I feel good but a little weaker in the strength department.
I don't believe you are weaker, but you are simply using and building muscles differently now. You are not fully used to endurance sports and your body requires time to adjust.
Balancing sports is a good idea. However, one sport could interfere with another. For example, if you balance your weightlifting with a lot of bicycling, you may have trouble remaining in your weight class. I think that's what you may be experiencing.
As I said, talk it over with a doctor or nutritionist who specializes in sports medicine and nutrition.